Cot frame movable between a prone position and an upright position

ABSTRACT

A cot frame movable between a prone position and an upright position. Back and front legs are respectively pivotally mounted to the back and front portions of the frame. The back legs are so mounted to the frame that the frame, in its upright position, is constrained to extend upwardly and rearwardly of the back legs. The front legs are so mounted to the frame that the front legs, when the frame is in its prone position, extend downwardly and forwardly of the frame.

nited States Patent 1191 Watson et al.

[ Jan. 15, 1974 [5 COT FRAME MOVABLE BETWEEN A 2,105,236 1/1933 Skobel 5/137 PRONE S O AND AN UPRIGHT 1,360,052 11/1920 Streich 5/314 POSITION [75] Inventors: Robert E. Watson; Claude L. Pitts, Primary Examine""-lames Mitchell both of Meridian, Miss. Attorney-D. Paul Weaver et al.

[73] Assignee: Hoscot Limited, Meridian, Miss.

221 Filed: Feb. 23, 1972 ABSTRACT [21] Appl. No.: 228,504 A cot frame movable between a prone position and an I upright position. Back and front legs are respectively pivotally mounted to the back and front portions of i fi 5/136 5/3 the frame. The back legs are so mounted to the frame I 58] Fie'ld 3 136 137 that the frame, in its upright position, is constrained to 5/3 1 248/188 extend upwardly and rearwardly of the back legs. The front legs are so mounted to the frame that the front legs, when the frame is in its prone position, extend [56] UNlTE ;S :ZqrENTS downwardly and forwardly of the frame.

2,307,920 1/1943 Deschamps 5/136 1 Claim, 8 Drawing Figures k- /6 -4 a I l 2 i. 2 1 s/a rlfi 4; l6 1 l2 /0 1? a M 20 w a1 1 g PATENTEDJAN 15 m4 3 734,99 sum 10F '3 PATENTEUJAN 15 I974 SHEET 2 OF 3 FIG. 4

PATENTED JAN 15 1974 saw a or 3 FIG. 6

COT FRAME MOVABLE BETWEEN A PRONE POSITION AND AN UPRIGIIT POSITION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In cots intended for use in hospitals or other locations where conservation of space is desirable, it is known in the prior art to construct the cots so that they are movable between a prone position, wherein they are utilized, and an upright position, wherein they extend close to a wall and are out of the way. Examples of such known cots or beds are disclosed in US. Pat. Nos. 778,539, 1,080,867 and 1,262,371.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is concerned with a frame of a cot of the aforementioned type having a simplified construction so as to enable it to be readily movable between its prone and upright positions and which is so constructed as to provide constructional rigidity and stability in both of these positions. The frame has back and front legs pivoted thereto and is swingable about the pivotal axis of the back legs to effect the movement between the prone and upright positions.

One aspect of the invention is concerned with the mounting of the front legs to the frame to permit the front legs to extend alongside the frame when the frame is in its upright position andto enable the front legs to sturdily support the front of the frame when the frame is in its prone position. This is accomplished by so mounting the front legs to the frame that they extend forwardly anddownwardly of the frame when the frame is in its prone position.

A second aspect of the invention is concerned with the mounting of the back legs to the frame so that the frame will have structural stability when it is in its upright position. This is accomplished by constraining the frame in its upright position so that it extends upwardly and rearwardly of the back legs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the frame in its prone position;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the frame taken on the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a back elevation of the frame taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of the frame taken on the line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of the frame in its upright position;

FIG. 6 is an end elevation of part of the frame taken on the line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a detail to an enlarged scale of the mounting of the front and back legs to the frame; and

FIG. 8 is a view taken on the line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The cot includes a rectangular frame formed of a head 10 and a foot 12 joined to a pair of sides 14. A board seated on the frame supports a mattress 16 (shown in phantom in FIGS. 1 and 4). The mattress may be held onto the frame in any manner desired as, for example, by elastic bands 18 secured at its opposite ends to adjacent portions of a side 14 and the head 10 or the foot 12 and extending across the corners of the mattresses at their tops.

A base 20, anchored to a floor 22 by fasteners 24, has a pair of back legs 26 upstanding from its opposite ends. Each back leg 26 is pivoted at its top by a pin 28 to a U-shaped housing 30 that is secured to and extends outwardly of a head or back portion of the frame side 14 near its head or back end. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, each housing 30 is formed of a bight 32 that projects outwardly of its associated frame side 14, an arm 34 that is secured to its associated frame side, and an arm 36 that is spaced from its associated frame side and is parallel to the arm 34. The pins 28 are secured to and extend between the arms 34 and 36, and the top of the back legs 26 extend between the arms 34, 36 and are pivoted on the pins 28.

A housing 30, constructed as described above, is also secured to the foot or front positions of each side frame 14 near its foot or front ends and a front leg 40 is pivoted to each of these housings in the same manner as the back legs 26 are pivoted to their associated housings 30.

The frame is movable between the prone position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and the upright position shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. In the prone position, the bights 32 of the housing 30 are spaced from the fronts of the back legs 26. In this position, the front legs 40 are in an operative position wherein they are inclined from the vertical so that they extend downwardly and forwardly of their pins 28 with their fronts bearing against the bights 32 of their associated housings 30 as indicated in the dashed lines in FIG. 7. This posture of the front legs 40 providesfor a sturdy support of the bed and prevents the front legs 40 from slipping rearwardly when a weight is placed thereon which would cause the foot of the bed to buckle and collapse on the floor 22.

When the cot is not in use, the frame can be raised to the upright position wherein it is out of the way with the mattress 16 close to a wall 42 (FIG. 5) by grasping a handle 44 depending from the foot 12 and raising the bed so that it swings about the axis of the pins 28 associated with the back legs 26. When so raised, the frame moves a little past the vertical in a rearward direction wherein the bights 32 of the housings 30 associated with the back legs engage the upper rear corners 46 (FIGS. 7 and 8) of the back legs 26 to thereby hold the cot in its raised position and constrain it against movement. In the upright position of the bed, the front legs 40 hang downwardly of their pins 28 alongside the frame sides 14 so as to be out of the way in an inoperative position.

While the housings 30 have been shown as extending outwardly of the sides 14, they can also be attached, as by welding, to the undersides of the sides 14 without departing from the invention. In addition, in accordance with the invention, the cot can be so constructed as to extend lengthwise beside the wall 42 with the sides 14 parallel to the wall and the housings 30 attached to the head 10 and the foot 12.

We claim:

1. A cot for use in a hospital or other similar environment and adapted to be moved from a prone use position to an upright, storage position comprising:

a rectangular frame including opposed head and foot portions and opposed side portions, said frame being adapted to receive and support a board and a mattress thereon;

a first pair of U-shaped brackets, each of said brackets including a bight portion and two associated arms, one of said arms of each of said brackets being secured to the opposed outer sides of said frame adjacent to, but spaced from the foot portion of said frame, with the bight portion of each said brackets extending outwardly from the associated side of said frame and the other of said arms extending in the direction of the head portion of the frame;

second pair of U-shaped brackets, each of said brackets including a bight portion and two associated arms, one of said arms of each of said brackets being secured to the opposed outer sides of said frame adjacent to, but spaced from the head portion of said frame, with the bight portion of each of said brackets extending outwardly from the associated side of said frame and the other of said arms extending in the direction of the head portion of said frame;

a first pair of legs having tops, bottoms and opposite sides;

means pivotally connecting said first legs, adjacent their top, to the arms of a respective one of said first pair of brackets, whereby when said cot is in its prone position said legs will extend slightly beyond a perpendicular position, with one side of each of said legs engaging said bight portion of its associated bracket to prevent possible collapse of said leg;

a second pair of legs having tops and bottoms;

means for securing the bottoms of said legs to a floor;

means pivotally connecting said second legs to the arms of a respective one of said first pair of brackets, whereby when said cot is moved to its vertical storage position said bight portions of said brackets will engage against said tops of the associated legs to support said frame in the storage position. 

1. A cot for use in a hospital or other similar environment and adapted to be moved from a prone use position to an upright, storage position comprising: a rectangular frame including opposed head and foot portions and opposed side portions, said frame being adapted to receive and support a board and a mattress thereon; a first pair of U-shaped brackets, each of said brackets including a bight portion and two associated arms, one of said arms of each of said brackets being secured to the opposed outer sides of said frame adjacent to, but spaced from the foot portion of said frame, with the bight portion of each said brackets extending outwardly from the associated side of said frame and the other of said arms extending in the direction of the head portion of the frame; a second pair of U-shaped brackets, each of said brackets including a bight portion and two associated arms, one of said arms of each of said brackets being secured to the opposed outer sides of said frame adjacent to, but spaced from the head portion of said frame, with the bight portion of each of said brackets extending outwardly from the associated side of said frame and the other of said arms extending in the direction of the head portion of said frame; a first pair of legs having tops, bottoms and opposite sides; means pivotally connecting said first legs, adjacent their top, to the arms of a respective one of said first pair of brackets, whereby when said cot is in its prone position said legs will extend slightly beyond a perpendicular position, with one side of each of said legs engaging said bight portion of its associated bracket to prevent possible collapse of said leg; a second pair of legs having tops and bottoms; means for securing the bottoms of said legs to a floor; means pivotally connecting said second legs to the arms of a respective one of said first pair of brackets, whereby when said cot is moved to its vertical storage position said bight portions of said brackets will engage against said tops of the associated legs to support said frame in the storage position. 